1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to graphics system architectures and more specifically to generating multiple simultaneous unique outputs from a single display pipeline.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical computer system includes, without limitation, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), at least one display device, and one or more input devices, such as a keyboard and a mouse. The display device generates a sequence of images from sequential video frames, each composed from a structured stream of pixels. The stream of pixels is typically generated by a video pipeline within the GPU. The video pipeline performs pixel processing operations, known to persons skilled in the art, which enable proper display of video images. For example, the video pipeline may perform “gamma correction” on a pixel in order to properly account for certain non-linear characteristics of an attached display device. A display device is frequently called a “head.” Consequently, the circuitry within the GPU used to support the display device is also referred to as a “head.”
When a user attaches one or more additional display devices to the computer system to view independent images, additional video pipelines are needed to generate the independent images. Modern GPU devices typically include two independent video pipelines, allowing the user to attach one or two display devices to the GPU. Each GPU also commonly includes numerous digital and analog video output ports used to support various video standards. However, despite the availability of these video output ports included in the GPU device, the GPU is still limited to driving two display devices (or the number of display devices equal to the number of available independent video pipelines within the GPU).
One approach to increasing the overall number of display devices that may be attached to a computer system is to configure the computer system to include additional GPUs. These additional GPUs provide additional video pipelines that can drive the independent display devices. One popular computer system configuration includes four similar or identical display devices. This configuration requires that two GPUs be present within the computer system, where each GPU includes two video pipelines. While many applications that require four display devices do not require the additional graphics processing capability of an additional GPU, the second GPU is nonetheless required in order to provide the necessary video pipelines used to drive the additional display devices. The second GPU increases the cost of the computer system and increases the amount of power needed to operate the computer system.
Another approach to increasing the number of display devices that may be attached to a computer system is to include additional independent video pipelines within the GPU, thereby allowing the GPU to drive additional independent display devices. However, the circuitry needed to implement a video pipeline is expensive and would add to the overall cost of the GPU, which should be optimized for the common usage case of driving one or two display devices.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a GPU architecture that accommodates additional display devices without the expense of including additional display pipelines within the GPU.